Category Archives: Microsoft

Change Windows Vista Product Key after install

Do you need to change your product key so that you can activate Windows Vista properly? You can use a great command line tool that will help you do this very easily. Just follow these steps:    1. Click on the Start Button and key in command prompt so that it shows up on your start menu search… Read More »

Checkbox Select Alternative

Windows Vista includes a new method to select files when using explorer. Instead of holding down CTRL and then clicking on all the files you want to select, Vista includes the option to check boxes to select items instead.  This new feature can be a little hard to get used to at first, but after you use it for… Read More »

Check Windows Vista Activation Status

Are you a user of Windows Vista Enterprise or Business edition and would like to know the status of activation of a specific computer? Want to make sure that the computer connected properly to the Key Management Server (KMS) or used your Multiple Activation Key (MAK) properly? Or are you a home user and just want to make… Read More »

Create an administrator command prompt shortcut

When I am working in command prompt the majority of the things I do require an administrative level command prompt.  I normally have to right click on my command prompt shortcut and then select Run As Administrator. However, there is an easy way to modify the shortcut so that you no longer have to right click on it and… Read More »

Enable Screen Magnifier

Do you find parts of the interface hard to see or would you like to zoom in on your work in photoshop? The Magnifier tool in Windows Vista is a great little utility that is a great help.    1. Click on the start button.    2. Key in magnifier and hit Enter.

Install Vista without product key

Don’t feel like typing in your product key before installing Windows Vista? It is now possible to install any version of Windows Vista and use it for 14 days before having to enter a product key and activating it.

Make NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices work in Vista

If you are like me and have a NAS device on your network that is not compatible with Windows Vista, now you can tweak Windows Vista to make it work again. You do not even have to wait for your device manufacturer to release a new firmware any more! Just follow these steps below:

Missing the old File, Edit, View menu bar?

One of the main concepts of Windows Vista is to make things more simple, basically take some of the complexity out of Windows. The decision was made to do away with the old menu bar in many of the windows of Windows Vista because they simply looked too busy and offered the user too many, often confusing, choices.

Run as administrator start menu keyboard trick

If you are like me and use the search box in the new Start Menu in Windows Vista as a run box, you can run any command you type in as an administrator by holding down CTRL + Shift and then pressing Enter.